Police find 400 pounds of marijuana in cars made in Mexico

Authorities say more than 400 pounds (181 kilograms) of marijuana has been found in 15 new cars made in Mexico and shipped to Ohio and Pennsylvania to sell. (Portage County Sheriff's Office)

WARREN, Ohio (AP) —

Authorities say more than 400 pounds (181 kilograms) of marijuana has been found in 15 new cars made in Mexico and shipped to Ohio and Pennsylvania to sell.

A drug task force in Ohio's Portage County was called to a Ford dealership this week after a service department employee found a package of pressed marijuana in a spare tire compartment during a vehicle inspection.

Investigators then went to a rail yard near Warren and found more packages in the trunks of Ford Fusions pressed into the shape of a spare tire. Additional packages were found at other northeast Ohio dealerships and one in Pennsylvania.

A Drug Enforcement Administration agent tells The Vindicator that marijuana was found in April in new cars shipped from Mexico to Minnesota.